


Chance Encounters

by vesper_rose



Category: Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 01:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6175303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesper_rose/pseuds/vesper_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer Reid is in New York and he happens to meet one Robert Goren. This is their story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chance Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't really help myself from adding that last bit onto the summary.. I couldn't think of a good title so this halfway decent one will just have to do for now. I might change it later (I think you can do that?). My apologies if the characterization is off in this; I haven't watched either series that these characters are from in full (at the time of publishing this, I've gotten through nearly all of season 1 of CM and nearly up to season 6 of L&O:CI). But in any case I just felt compelled to write this little thing… I really wanted to explore some interactions between these two. I checked this site and FF.net to see if anyone else had already written a crossover of this type before, but I didn't really find anything, which surprised me a little. Also, even though a number of events in this make it seem like they're going to get together, I have no plans for that to happen. I'm such a tease.  
> In terms of setting, this is set probably in the early 2000s - 2002, maybe, and before Reid is hired by the FBI (I'm not completely sure when the show says he actually was hired. so for this fic I'm just assuming that he wasn't working for them at the time these events take place.)

It was a brisk Monday morning in New York City, and Robert Goren was up, bright and early as usual, even though he had the day off. It was rare that he took time off, but his captain had insisted. In any case, he could use the time to take care of some errands he had been putting off. But first, before tackling any of the tasks he intended to get done, he made his way down to a café on the corner for some breakfast. He was perfectly capable of cooking his own breakfast in the small kitchen of his apartment, but he had a restless urge to get outside and amongst the numerous other inhabitants of the city. 

 

It was a quick walk to the end of the block and the sun cast a gentle, pleasant light on the faces of the other pedestrians. They went about on their way, most expressionless and focused only on getting to their destination with as little human interaction as possible. Goren observed them as they passed, wondering about their lives and possible criminal predilections. 

 

It was the midst of the morning breakfast rush, so there was quite a bit of a line inside the café before the counter. It seemed like an eternity before Goren got to the front of the line and was able to order his pastries and coffee. “One croissant, and a raspberry Danish, please. And, uh, a cup of coffee.” The girl behind the counter nodded and informed him that it would be $5.83. Goren handed over some cash and dropped the change he received into a jar on the counter marked “tips.” Then he was handed his croissant and Danish on a plate, along with the coffee, in a light blue mug. As he made his way to the seating area, he picked up some napkins and a few packets of sugar for the coffee. He didn't mind his coffee extra sweet, but the amount of sugar it took to reach such levels of saccharine flavor would keep him hyper until sometime in the next month. He didn't understand how on earth Eames was able to drink her coffee so sweet and not completely lose all sense of focus. Even using only a few packets gave him a noticeable buzz, which was good for waking him up if he were particularly groggy in the morning, but did nothing to help his concentration. 

 

As he scanned the café for somewhere to sit, he realized that the only free spaces were at a counter along the front window, facing the street. He set his plate and mug down on the counter and slid into chair, hanging his coat over the back of it. Just after he had settled into the chair and was beginning to pick at his pastries, a somewhat uncertain voice spoke up behind him. “Excuse me, sir; this chair isn't taken, is it?” the man asked, indicating the seat next to Goren with his elbow - in one of his hands was a plate with three cinnamon buns, in the other, a glass of orange juice. The voice was a fitting match for the man who was now looking at Goren inquisitively. He was tall but slight, and dressed in a shirt that billowed around his slender frame. This all was topped off with a tie and sweater vest. It was quite an outfit. Goren assumed he was a college student, given the youthful face and the slightly less than stylish clothing. “Oh no, feel free,” he said in reply to this man, who Goren sensed an air of nervousness about, though he couldn't discern why. “Thanks,” the man said quickly, as he tried to sit down in the chair, nearly dropping his plate and glass in the process. He managed to get settled and began shoveling cinnamon buns into his mouth, interspersed with gulps of orange juice. Goren gazed out the window as he nibbled on his breakfast, contemplating the passers-by. On a whim, he turned towards the man now sitting next to him and introduced himself. “I'm Bobby,” he said with a smile. “Your name?” He had consciously chosen to use the diminutive of his name, in the hopes that it would put the other man at ease. He seemed so nervous and uncertain, but Goren couldn't figure out exactly why, at least not yet. He thought that if he could draw the man into a conversation, he might get some insight into the reason behind his apparent mood. The man looked startled for a moment, but then answered quickly, in the same tone that conveyed a sense of anxiety. “Spencer.”

“Are you from around here? I think you're a visitor, since you’re acting so nervous, and, and your eyes… you look like you haven't slept, like you've just been on a long flight. La Guardia or JFK?” The man, who Goren now knew to be called Spencer, looked taken aback. Goren waited for a moment for a response, and when he didn't get one, he said reassuringly, “Mm. No need to be nervous. I know it's probably a bit scary to be here in such a big city. All the people.” He paused to take a bite out of his croissant. “You'll get used to it. How long are you here for?” 

“Well, I'm in town strictly on business.”

“Business? What kind?”

“I've been studying botany independently and thought I should pay a visit to the botanical garden here. They have the widest selection of plants from all over the world here. Their orchid collection is simply incredible. I'd like to see the succulent and conifers as well… And the cereus plant.”

“You certainly seem to have that all figured out. How long are you here for?” 

“Well, actually… indefinitely. I don't really have any plans, beyond visiting the gardens.”

“You have a hotel?”

“Yeah, I'm staying at a Marriott, somewhere…” Spencer rubbed his cheek nervously, and Goren saw how pale and bony the man’s hands were. “I kind of just jumped on the subway this morning and ended up here,” he confessed. “If you need help finding your way back, I'm actually off work today,” Goren volunteered. “Let me guess. Stockbroker. No, wait... Advertising. Or are you a lawyer?” Spencer suggested as he tried to guess Goren’s line of work. Goren shook his head amiably. “Nope, detective. Detective Goren of the NYPD. It's one of my rare vacation days today.” 

“Wow, a detective… do you like your job?” 

“Never a dull moment.” Goren noticed that they both were finished with their respective breakfasts, so he offered to clear the table in front of them. “There's a bin back there in the corner where the dishes go when you're finished with them. I come here a lot.” He stacked the plates and slipped a finger through the handles of both mugs, stepped down from his chair and made his way across the café to deposit the dishes in the appropriate receptacle. In this brief moment with Goren away from the table, Spencer took the time to make a cursory reflection on his conversation with this man, this detective, who was quite a bit friendlier than he expected a stranger would be on his first day in such a large city, a city where it seemed so easy to be just another anonymous face in the crowd. 

 

Goren returned and sat back down in the chair. “What say you that we get out of here now? It's a beautiful day, and I could show you back to your hotel,” he suggested to Spencer. “Uh, yeah, that would be great,” Spencer stammered. They descended from their chairs and started to make their way towards the door. As Spencer turned to push his chair in, a small, scowling unshaven man bumped into him, spilling the entirety of a steaming cup of coffee over the front of Spencer’s chest. The man was short; Goren thought he couldn't have been more than 5’6”, so the coffee was in minimal danger of spilling on Spencer’s face, but the splatter all over his shirt and (frankly rather atrocious) sweater vest was bad enough. “Watch it!” the man growled angrily, even though it had been him who hadn't been paying enough attention to what was in front of him. Spencer stood there in shock, his clothes soaked and his skin beginning to burn from the heat of the steaming drink. Alerted by the sound of an angry shout, Goren turned to see Spencer facing another man and an empty cup of coffee on the floor, its contents splattered all over the front of Spencer. Goren stepped forward and bent down to retrieve the cup from the floor. He handed it back to the man with a polite “I think you dropped this.” The man stood there, glaring at them with unbridled rage. “Come on, Spencer, let's go,” Goren said reassuringly. He placed a hand on Spencer’s shoulder and guided him towards the door. “Here, take this,” Goren said as he handed over his coat to Spencer. “You can use it to cover up the - the mess until you get cleaned up. My apartment is just down the street.” Spencer nodded graciously and let himself be led down the sidewalk, through the crowd of other pedestrians in this unfamiliar city, clutching the coat against his chest. 

 

Soon, they had arrived at Goren’s apartment building and proceeded into the lobby. Goren greeted the doorman with a nod and made his way towards the elevators. Spencer followed. Goren pushed the button to call the elevator and they waited. Spencer was grateful for the kindness of a near stranger, but still wracked with uncertainty about being alone in the city, with no concrete plans other than visiting the botanical gardens. The elevator arrived, and Goren gestured towards the open doors. “After you,” he said with a smile. Spencer stepped in and the fleeting thought that he might be stepping into an elevator with a possible murderer crossed his mind. He was perhaps a little paranoid. The trip up 7 floors was quick, and Spencer was relieved that in that time, the other man had not done anything that would indicate Spencer was a target for murder. “It's just down the hall here,” Goren said once they arrived at the 7th floor. He made his way to his front door and unlocked it. Going inside, Spencer saw a decently spacious apartment with numerous things scattered all around. It wasn't messy, so to speak, but Goren certainly had a lot of stuff in his apartment. Along the wall in the living room were some bookshelves, replete with books that spanned all manner of topics. Still holding Goren’s coat, Spencer reached up to take one book, titled  _ Psychopathy _ , off the shelf. Goren walked over from the kitchen, where he had been preparing some things to treat the probable burn that Spencer had suffered from the coffee. “Take your shirt off; we'll need to get that cleaned up, and we'd better make sure you aren't scalded too badly from all that.” Spencer looked at Goren, surprised that he would be so upfront about ordering him to disrobe. “You can wear one of mine, it's fine,” Goren said, as Spencer hesitated. He took his coat and hung it up, then made his way to his bedroom and looked through his drawers for a shirt that Spencer could wear after he had removed the soiled one. He came back into the living room to the sight of Spencer, naked from the waist up. There were red marks on his torso and arm where the coffee had spilled. “Does it hurt?” Goren asked. “A little,” Spencer replied as he looked at himself to examine the damage. “Sit down, I'll be right back,” Goren said as he went to the kitchen to retrieve a wet towel. Spencer sat, and Goren placed the towel his chest to sooth the pain from the burns. “Is that better?” Spencer nodded and apologized for the hassle he had caused. “No need to apologize. It's not your fault that someone ran into you. I think you'll be okay, you won't need to go to the hospital or anything for that burn.” Goren handed the shirt he had gotten to Spencer. “When you're ready. Do you want any pain medication? It's.. a pretty big burn.” 

“I think I'll be okay.” 

“So, the botanical gardens. I've been there. Not recently, but I've seen them. I liked the bonsai.” 

“Did you know, bonsai have been cultivated for over 2000 years in Japan..”

“I have one in my bedroom, actually. I got it 4 years ago. It's a nice.. addition to the room.” 

Spencer removed the towel from his chest and slid his arms into the sleeves of the shirt Goren had brought for him. He began to do up the buttons. This shirt was just as billowing as the last - Goren had more meat on his bones than Spencer. “It's a bit big, but it'll do,” Spencer mused. Goren thought he looked a little comical, shrouded in the light blue fabric of the shirt. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are welcome.. I'd like to know what people think of this little piece, since I personally thought the idea of this particular crossover with these characters was a pretty interesting one. I'm going to add some more onto this fic, but I'm not definitely sure where/how far it's going to go. It should be interesting when I've got to google random little trivia facts to use as obscure things that the both of them just happen to know (the bonsai bit in this chapter was one of such things).


End file.
